


Learning

by colossalEgo



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-21
Updated: 2011-10-21
Packaged: 2017-10-24 20:11:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/267399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colossalEgo/pseuds/colossalEgo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave finds a distressed Nepeta and decides to comfort her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Learning

He watched her sob on the floor, feeling awkward and unsure of what to do. No one else was in the room to comfort her. He thought about leaving her before she noticed his presence, but his guilty conscience wouldn’t let him. He wasn’t sure of what he was supposed to do with a crying troll.

Trying not to seem gawky, he hesitantly walked towards her, “Hey.”

Nepeta sniffled and rubbed her glassy eyes as she watched the boy sit down next to her. Having someone willing come to her when she was down was a new experience. Only her deceased moirail ever outwardly comforted her. It was something that trolls never did, and most viewed as a weakness.

Dave had never felt more awkward in his life. He didn’t know what to say to a crying girl. He raked his mind for words, but nothing came to him. Comfort others was something that he was never good at.

“Who are you?”

He mentally sighed in relief when she was the first one to break the silence. He watched her as she tried to regain her composure, “The one and only Dave Strider, aka turntechGodhead.”

She looked at him, eyes big and watery, “I never trolled you before.”

He nodded, feeling a little bit of relief that she was talking back without being overbearing with depression. “So this would be the part where you  
introduce yourself then, can’t leave me hangin’ like that.”

She squeaked in embarrassment, “Oh, the furrocious hunteress goes by arsenicCatnip! But, she would purrfer it if you called her Nepeta Leijon.”

Dave studied her, noting the strange way she pronounced certain words and the third person pronouns. What sort of bothered him, was how Nepeta adopted her new attitude quite quickly. A little bit too quickly for his tastes. He began to wonder if she really was crying for a dejected reason. After all, he knew that trolls just loved deceiving everyone they come in contact with.

The two sat together, both of them wavering on what to say. Nepeta looked down at the floor. She never talked to a human face to face before, and was a little bit intimidated by the paleness of his skin, lack of horns, and no threatening fangs. It was so much different meeting Dave in person, rather than catching a glimpse of him on Terezi’s monitor.

“So,” he drawled out the ‘o’s, “What were the big tears for?”

Her demeanor changed again. She curled up into a tighter ball, “Oh, it was nothing impurrtant.”

“Right, the next time I cry rivers, I’ll tell the person who even gave a shit it was nothing. C’mon Nepeta, I’m no Rose, but it is definitely more important then you claim it to be.”

She gave him a sorrow filled stare while he looked back at her with a determined one. Uneasiness began to swell up in her. She couldn’t see Dave’s eyes past his sunglasses, it unnerved her. He didn’t seem to be as caring as he said to be.

“W-Well,” she started, trying to keep her voice to its regular pitch, “It’s not really that big of a deal, it’s just that…”

“Just what?”

She began to pick at her jacket sleeves, “Equius is dead and-and the other person that Nepeta cares furr, doesn’t pity her back the same way she does.”

“Pity…?” Dave vaguely recalled the strange concept of troll quadrants that John had rambled about.

“Of course! Nepeta would never want to hate him!”

He really did not want to get into the whole “pity” and “hate.” What occurred odd to him, was how negative the two words seemed, even though they were supposed to be the “reproducing” romance of the quadrants. Maybe the trolls were missing out on something…

“Don’t you guys have love?”

She tilted her head, “What’s that? Some strange human concept?”

“It’s,” Dave started not knowing how to complete his sentence. He had never experienced “love.” Bro never gave him any of it, but he did see it in the movies that John forced him to watch.

“I guess it’s when you care about one person more than anyone else. Something like being able to spend time with them and going through the ups and downs… what’s that look for?”

Nepeta had her hands clasped together, her expression twinkling with happiness as she leaned towards him, “Are we in love?”

“W-What? No, of course not,” Dave spluttered.

“But Nepeta is going through a down time, and you’re here cheering her up!”

The boy was starting to break into sweat, “Jeeze, don’t take everything the wrong way. People can cheer others up without being… in love? Got it? We are not in love.

Nepeta drooped, “Well, can you at least tell Nepeta the symbol for love.”

She loved the way that word slipped of her tongue. It felt so natural. She could say it forever and it wouldn’t get old.

“A heart, nothing special.”

Nepeta giggled as she tugged on one of his sleeves. “Tell me more about it!”

Dave squirmed uncomfortably and tried to gently push her away. “There is nothing else to say besides what I just did.”

She proceeded to lean in close again, “That’s impawssible! There has to be more to this ‘Love’!”

“Ok, ok,” he didn’t hesitate in pushing her away this time, “Just get of me, you’re making this so much more awkward than it should be.”

Nepeta obediently let go of him. She was unable to contain all of her excitement of learning a new romance. Secretly, she was glad humans didn’t have any sort of “hate” romance. To her, it was a foul thing to do to one another.

“Basically,” He scratched the back of his head, he had no clue what to say, “It’s like… uh, what I mean is… Would you quit staring at me like that?!”

“Staring at you like what?” She asked as she tilted her head. Dave swore he could compare her to a five year old who was about to get some candy before eating dinner.

Jeeze, did she even realize how embarrassing this was for him? “Look, it’s pretty much when two people look out for each other, but also knowing when they’ve gone too far and bring them back down to the ground.”

“That sounds like a meowralligence,” she said slightly disappointed, “Is there anything else?”

He was starting to turn red, “Well, there is a bit more…”

She gasped in regaining her previous demeanor, grabbing his sleeve again without realizing.

“Hey, what did I say about touching me?” He tried to shake her hand off.

“Nepeta is sorry! She is just soo excited she can’t contain herself!”

Dave turned away, unable to stare at the troll when he swore that his ears were turning red, “People in love also kiss and hug… I guess.”

“Oh my gosh!” Nepeta squealed as she shook his arm, “That is pawsitevly adorable! It’s like a meowralligance mixed with red!”

He inwardly cringed at the octave her voice reached, “If that’s what you think it is.”

Dave watched Nepeta giggle and mutter things to herself. He didn’t understand why she was so thrilled for a totally lame subject.

“Okay! Nepeta has made up her mind!”

He gave her a questioning grunt.

“It shall be the great huntress’ goal to purrsue a human romance with Dave!”

“WHAT!?”

She tackled him down, his back hitting the floor with a heavy thud, “She’s just so thankful that Dave helped her feel better. And maybe, Nepeta can make Dave feel the same way too.”

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before scampering off. Dave just lied in confusion, unsure of what just happened. He quickly regained his composure and sat back up, deciding that girl was officially on top of his “Crazy” list.

…

He put up a hand to his cheek. The little kiss didn’t seem too bad he figured.


End file.
